Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) / Cities in South Carolina

Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)

Clemson, SC had the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate) of 43 cities in 2022, at 36%. Tega Cay, SC had the lowest, at 0.4%. The median was 13% and the figure for South Carolina was 14.4%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest36Clemson, SC
Lowest0.4Tega Cay, SC
Median1343 cities
South Carolina14.4History

All cities, 2022

Clemson, SC: 36 %Clemson, SC36Orangeburg, SC: 34 %Orangeburg, SC34Newberry, SC: 26.7 %Newberry, SC26.7Spartanburg, SC: 25.7 %Spartanburg, SC25.7Anderson, SC: 25.1 %Anderson, SC25.1Greenwood, SC: 24.7 %Greenwood, SC24.7Columbia, SC: 24.3 %Columbia, SC24.3Gaffney, SC: 23.1 %Gaffney, SC23.1Conway, SC: 20.2 %Conway, SC20.2Beaufort, SC: 19.7 %Beaufort, SC19.7Florence, SC: 18.8 %Florence, SC18.8Cayce, SC: 17.9 %Cayce, SC17.9Sumter, SC: 17.5 %Sumter, SC17.5York, SC: 17.4 %York, SC17.4North Charleston, SC: 16.5 %North Charleston, SC16.5Aiken, SC: 16 %Aiken, SC16Fountain Inn, SC: 15.3 %Fountain Inn, SC15.3Myrtle Beach, SC: 15.3 %Myrtle Beach, SC15.3Greenville, SC: 14.4 %Greenville, SC14.4West Columbia, SC: 14.2 %West Columbia, SC14.2Hanahan, SC: 13 %Hanahan, SC13Rock Hill, SC: 13 %Rock Hill, SC13Easley, SC: 12.7 %Easley, SC12.7Charleston, SC: 12.6 %Charleston, SC12.6Summerville, SC: 10.8 %Summerville, SC10.8Greer, SC: 10.6 %Greer, SC10.6Forest Acres, SC: 9.7 %Forest Acres, SC9.7Port Royal, SC: 9 %Port Royal, SC9Hardeeville, SC: 8.8 %Hardeeville, SC8.8Lexington, SC: 8.3 %Lexington, SC8.3North Augusta, SC: 8.1 %North Augusta, SC8.1Moncks Corner, SC: 8.1 %Moncks Corner, SC8.1Mauldin, SC: 7.7 %Mauldin, SC7.7Hilton Head Island, SC: 7.6 %Hilton Head Island, SC7.6Goose Creek, SC: 7.3 %Goose Creek, SC7.3North Myrtle Beach, SC: 7 %North Myrtle Beach, SC7Irmo, SC: 6.6 %Irmo, SC6.6Simpsonville, SC: 6.4 %Simpsonville, SC6.4Mount Pleasant, SC: 5.8 %Mount Pleasant, SC5.8Bluffton, SC: 5.5 %Bluffton, SC5.5Fort Mill, SC: 4.6 %Fort Mill, SC4.6James Island, SC: 4.1 %James Island, SC4.1Tega Cay, SC: 0.4 %Tega Cay, SC0.4Clemson, SC: 36 %Clemson, SC36Orangeburg, SC: 34 %Orangeburg, SC34Newberry, SC: 26.7 %Newberry, SC26.7Spartanburg, SC: 25.7 %Spartanburg, SC25.7Anderson, SC: 25.1 %Anderson, SC25.1Greenwood, SC: 24.7 %Greenwood, SC24.7Columbia, SC: 24.3 %Columbia, SC24.3Gaffney, SC: 23.1 %Gaffney, SC23.1Conway, SC: 20.2 %Conway, SC20.2Beaufort, SC: 19.7 %Beaufort, SC19.7Florence, SC: 18.8 %Florence, SC18.8Cayce, SC: 17.9 %Cayce, SC17.9Sumter, SC: 17.5 %Sumter, SC17.5York, SC: 17.4 %York, SC17.4North Charleston, SC: 16.5 %North Charleston, SC16.5Aiken, SC: 16 %Aiken, SC16Fountain Inn, SC: 15.3 %Fountain Inn, SC15.3Myrtle Beach, SC: 15.3 %Myrtle Beach, SC15.3Greenville, SC: 14.4 %Greenville, SC14.4West Columbia, SC: 14.2 %West Columbia, SC14.2Hanahan, SC: 13 %Hanahan, SC13Rock Hill, SC: 13 %Rock Hill, SC13Easley, SC: 12.7 %Easley, SC12.7Charleston, SC: 12.6 %Charleston, SC12.6Summerville, SC: 10.8 %Summerville, SC10.8Greer, SC: 10.6 %Greer, SC10.6Forest Acres, SC: 9.7 %Forest Acres, SC9.7Port Royal, SC: 9 %Port Royal, SC9Hardeeville, SC: 8.8 %Hardeeville, SC8.8Lexington, SC: 8.3 %Lexington, SC8.3North Augusta, SC: 8.1 %North Augusta, SC8.1Moncks Corner, SC: 8.1 %Moncks Corner, SC8.1Mauldin, SC: 7.7 %Mauldin, SC7.7Hilton Head Island, SC: 7.6 %Hilton Head Island, SC7.6Goose Creek, SC: 7.3 %Goose Creek, SC7.3North Myrtle Beach, SC: 7 %North Myrtle Beach, SC7Irmo, SC: 6.6 %Irmo, SC6.6Simpsonville, SC: 6.4 %Simpsonville, SC6.4Mount Pleasant, SC: 5.8 %Mount Pleasant, SC5.8Bluffton, SC: 5.5 %Bluffton, SC5.5Fort Mill, SC: 4.6 %Fort Mill, SC4.6James Island, SC: 4.1 %James Island, SC4.1Tega Cay, SC: 0.4 %Tega Cay, SC0.4
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCities2022 (%)Change on 2021
1Clemson, SC36-0.4 pts
2Orangeburg, SC34+1.9 pts
3Newberry, SC26.7+4.1 pts
4Spartanburg, SC25.7+1.7 pts
5Anderson, SC25.1+3.9 pts
6Greenwood, SC24.7-0.4 pts
7Columbia, SC24.3-0 pts
8Gaffney, SC23.1-1.1 pts
9Conway, SC20.2+2.5 pts
10Beaufort, SC19.7-0.4 pts
11Florence, SC18.8+0.7 pts
12Cayce, SC17.9+0.7 pts
13Sumter, SC17.5-2.9 pts
14York, SC17.4-5.8 pts
15North Charleston, SC16.5-1.6 pts
16Aiken, SC16+1.5 pts
17Fountain Inn, SC15.3+2.6 pts
18Myrtle Beach, SC15.3-4.1 pts
19Greenville, SC14.4+0.5 pts
20West Columbia, SC14.2+0.9 pts
21Hanahan, SC13+0.8 pts
22Rock Hill, SC13-0.5 pts
23Easley, SC12.7+0.9 pts
24Charleston, SC12.6+0.6 pts
25Summerville, SC10.8+0.3 pts
26Greer, SC10.6+0.4 pts
27Forest Acres, SC9.7-1.5 pts
28Port Royal, SC9+3.5 pts
29Hardeeville, SC8.8-0.6 pts
30Lexington, SC8.3-0.1 pts
31North Augusta, SC8.1+0.4 pts
32Moncks Corner, SC8.1-2 pts
33Mauldin, SC7.7+1.3 pts
34Hilton Head Island, SC7.60 pts
35Goose Creek, SC7.3-1.2 pts
36North Myrtle Beach, SC7-0.8 pts
37Irmo, SC6.6+1.3 pts
38Simpsonville, SC6.4+0.7 pts
39Mount Pleasant, SC5.8+0.2 pts
40Bluffton, SC5.5-0.2 pts
41Fort Mill, SC4.6+0.9 pts
42James Island, SC4.1+0.2 pts
43Tega Cay, SC0.4-0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People with income in the past 12 months below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status is determined. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

The headline single-year rate for states and counties is poverty_rate (SAIPE). Poverty status is not determined for people in institutions, military group quarters or college dormitories, or for unrelated children under 15. Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the cities are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more) (Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more), Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_cities_in_south_carolina_2022,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more): Cities in South Carolina by poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate), 2022
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/poverty-rate-acs/south-carolina-cities?period=2022.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2022/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2022-b17001.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which city has the highest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Clemson, SC, with 36% in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which city has the lowest poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate)?

Tega Cay, SC, with 0.4% in 2022.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B17001: population with income in the past 12 months below the poverty level as a percentage of the population for whom poverty status is determined, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Poverty rate (US five-year survey estimate): other rankings

Cities in South Carolina: more rankings